Material conveying toy



Nov. 18, 1952 A R 2,618,376

MATERIAL CONVEYING TOY Filed 001;. 3, 1950 INVENTOR. ARTHUR E. MA Y, JR.

V BY A flmmm 4rrmm Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATERIAL CONVEYING TOY Arthur E. May, .lr., Boise, Idaho Application October 3, 1950, Serial No. 188,126

4 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor toy of simplified construction which is easy to manufacture and assemble, and which is of sturdy and rugged construction so that it would not be easily broken in the hands of children of the age interested in such devices.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor toy which combines the desirable qualities of providing movement with noise making simulating the actual noises of the large-scale mechanism of the same type, and which simulates useful large-scale machinery so that the infant feels that he is operating just as his elders do.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from inspection of the accompanying drawings taken in connection with the following specification wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the present invention; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the present invention.

The preferred embodiment of the toy comprises a frame including a base plate it and a pair of side frame members I l. The frame may be of such weight as to support the toy in upright position when in use, but it may be made of relatively light material and the base it is extended as shown to provide a platform upon which to rest one hand in order to hold the toy on a surface while it is in use. The side members H are held in spaced apart relation by suitable cross members including a lower member I2, an upper member it in substantial alignment with the lower member l2 and an inclined top member M which is of considerable length and is inclined upwardly over the extension of the base It. The side members are extended above the inclined member M for at least a portion thereof so as to provide trough-shaped guiding means to retain and guide a longitudinally movable trough it. An intermediate portion of the bottom of the trough supports an abutment plate It of substantially the same thickness as the member I l, and a guiding and retaining plate I1 mounted on the lower surface of the abutment l6 extends downwardly and over the end of the guide member i i. The upper end of the member l4 constitutes a cooperating abutment on the frame engageable with the lower end of the abutment It mounted on the movable trough iii. A pin l8 extending through the members l6 and H and projecting therebelow provides means to anchor one end of a coil spring 119, the other end of which is anchored to a pin 28 projecting beneath the bottom of the trough It. The spring is stressed in the longitudinal direction of the trough and is so tensioned as to hold the abutments normally in engagement with each other but may yield to permit upward movement of the trough.

A crank is mounted transversely of the frame, the same comprising a transverse shaft 2! having a laterally projecting integral handle 22 which may be engaged and rotated by the free hand. The crank mounts cam means 23 preferably in the form of a multilobed cam which is located centrally of the frame. A rock shaft 25 mounted above the crank shaft 2! pivotally supports a hammer member comprising a hammer head 25 located in position to strike the lower end of the trough i5, a cam engaging projection 26 and a spring mounting arm 21. A second spring 28 is tensioned between the outer end of the arm 21 and a suitable anchoring member 29 extending upwardly from the base 10, the spring being tensioned normally to hold the hammer 25 in engagement with the lower end of the trough. When the crank 22 is rotated the hammer member is repeatedly rocked to move the hammer outwardly to the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, whereupon the spring 28 forcibly causes the hammer to strike a jarring blow in the longitudinal direction upwardly upon the lower end of the trough It, the same being accompanied by percussion noises in fairly rapid repetition simulating the noise of field apparatus of similar type. Each blow causes the trough to move upwardly to a slight extent accompanied by stressing of the spring I9, and as soon as the next lobe of the cam 23 engages the hammer member, the spring it causes the trough 15 to return until the abutments l6 and M are forcibly reengaged.

Means are provided to feed granular material such as sand into the lower end of the trough, such means preferably comprising a hopper mounted upon the trough itself, the hopper including a rear wall 30 extending down to the inner surface of the bottom of the trough to provide reinforcement and to prevent the sand from dropping from the bottom of the trough, side walls 3 I which engage the side walls of the trough and a front wall 32 which extends downwardly to within a short distance of the bottom of the trough. The hopper also preferably comprises a bottom wall 33 which extends downwardly and rearwardly from the top of the front wall to Within a short distance of the back wall 30 to provide a narrow egress slot, and a forwardly extending baiile 34 extending longitudinally above the bottom of the trough a short distance toward the front wall, thus providing a trap to prevent the sandfrom runningrapidlyoutof ,thethopper but permitting feeding escape thereof in limited quantities at each jarring movement imparted to the trough. A lid member 35 is preferably pivoted on the side walls at 36 adjacent the upper edge of the front wall 3| to provide :means 130 prevent sand from being thrown out of the hopper when the jarring is occurring.

The bottom of the trough gcomprisesza p urality of transverse ridges 31. Each of the transverse ridges 31 comprises an upwardly inclined upper surface 38 having upward inclination with res ect i'to the inclination -of @the -2trough and an abrupt,substantially-verticalforward surfaeeiafl.

spacing :of the ridges is :somewhat approxito the extent of-movementof :the 'trough fiected by-theh'ammer Z5. Ateach'blow some granular :material :drops from the "hopper ,and -the transverseridges-successively catch the granuilar material which is jarred-forwardly, so that in effect th'ea-granular material climbs the steps yprovidedbythe transverseridgesuntiliitiis forced .over the top step and dropsinto al'bin or'toy truck. i mhe upper endof the'trough'ispreferably pro- A ided with e. protective hood including a top plate 40 which extends over the end of theconweyor :an'd is curved "downwardly :to direct the e'jectewmaterial downwardly from the trough, the i hood also comprising side :plates :51 which snap into engagement with the sides of the itrough. "lE'he hoodfis preferably-formed of trans eparent sheetzmateriallso that"the operatorcan qibserve the :operationrof the toy throughout the :extentrof the-trough.

iltzis to be appreciated zthat'thetherein described and i-illustrated :modification iis exemplary 10f anany fiforms which :the :toy may assume .:and r ithat the toy mayycomprise :many modifications detail :and :arrangement. All :such -modificat'i'ons =as-:come within'ithe'itrue spirit and ,scope 'of :the :appended :claims are :considered .to ;be .a :part of'smy invention.

I claim:

1. n conveyor toy :comprising a frame, an upwardly inclined itrough, cooperating means i on said frame and said trough slidably retaining randeguiding: said trough 'for longitudinal move- :ment onzsaid frame, the :bottom of said trough rcompr ising :a plurality of transverse ridges, means to feed granular :material into (the :lower :endrnf .=said rtrough, an gabutment on :said frame, resilient z means :stressed in 517116 ilongitudinal (ii:- rxectioniof :said iztmugh ;normally to (retain -said :trcmgh' gagainst'zsaid :abutment, :and .means Zil nluding azhammer operablotostrihegsaid-trou h in line with its longitudinal dimensionrepeatedly etmiamsaidztrough longitudinallyawayfiromisaid 1 mihntment whereby :said material Iis gaus si $9 nlhnhzupzsaidctmu h.

:2. ,fAmonveyoratoiv eomnrisin ;a frame,; an:up- 'avardly rinclined :trcugb, cooperatin means ion said framei-andeaidttrough;sli ably retainin iamd uiding said trough :for longitudinal movemen zonasaid-rframe, :the hottom :of said trough oomprising a plurality of transverse steps each having an upwardly inclined upper surface with respect to the bottom of said trough and a precipitous forward surface, means to feed granular material into the lower end of said trough, an abutment on said frame, resilient means stressed in the longitudinal direction of said trough normally to retain said trough against said abutvment, and hammer meansefiective repeatedly to jar :saidftroughjlongitudinally away from said abutment whereby said material is caused to climb said steps.

3. A conveyor toy comprising a frame, an up- TWQ 'Q LYinQlined trough, cooperating means on s,aid frame and said trough slidably guiding said "trough for longitudinal movement, cooperating abutmentmeanson said trough and said frame normally in engagement with each other, a-spring'tensioned between said frame and said trough in the longitudinal direction, the bottom of :said rtmugh .qcomprising a plurality :of :transaverse steps, .a .hopper ifOT granular :imaterial :mounted on',the;lowor;end :of-saidtrcugh zandrhav- U :ing an outlet arranged above the lowermost-of 25 :said transverse stepsand hammer means e'fiective-repeatedly to'strike-an end of said :troughin the longitudinal direction to cause-separation of said abutment meansagainst the-tension-ofrsaid V rspringwhereby granular, material is deposited'jin :Said trough from ,:said hopper iandyis caused to iclimb said :steps.

4. ;A :eonveyor t y compri ing-a fram all-hpw 'ly -inclined trou h, cooperating means .on said frame and said trough slidably-guidingfsaid trough for longitudinal :-movement, cooperating butment means ion-said trough 1 and said :frame :normally in engagement with each other, a "first spring itensioned between said frame and :said trou hjn the lon itu inal direction, the bottom of said trough comprising a series of transverse steps, a hopper for granular material gmounted :on thelower end of saidtroughandhaving a restricted outlet arranged above:the lowermost pf said tran ver p and :m n r peatedly to jar said trough in the longitudinal dimctionto wan -s para ionofse daa n en means wher by granular material is depositedunpaid-trough from said hopper and is caused to :climb said steps, said means comprising a hammer movable ;in the longitudinal direction of ;said trough andengageablewith the lower end of said trough, a second springhnormally holding said hammer against the lower end of said trough, cam means for-alternately raising said hammer against the etension r m SBCQn p n an r easingitito strik said t ou h, a d a rankbperati el .oonn otedzt -saideam mean ;MAY, Jr.

REF RE CE CI D The followingreferences are of record in the file -.of :this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS g5 Number Nam .e at 1757,47,? Marcus ,Apr. 1,9, 19,0; 1 1 75% St bbins a l unelogieze 1 ;8'3;1 ueyd .V Dec. "15. "1.33

EOREIGN PATENT. is .Number Country Date $142284 Great Britain Feb. 5, I936 

